


Mac and Jack's Timeline

by Sabene4511



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Timeline for Mac and Jack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 15:18:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17831081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sabene4511/pseuds/Sabene4511
Summary: I pulled together what I could find in canon and some outside research and pieced together a timeline for our boys. Some of it is approximate and subject to change as we learn more. I know canon isn't entirely consistent, but this is the best I could do so far. This is what I base my stories on. I assume Mac graduated high school early. Let me know if there's something I messed up on!The ** is a new edit on 2-27-19. I decided that most things point to 1990 as Mac's birth year, and it makes the most sense. The line in 1x04 is the only thing that contradicts it, so I adjusted things to account for that.





	Mac and Jack's Timeline

**Mac/Jack Timeline**

 

Feb 23, 1975     Jack is born                          Month/day from original series, year from 2x13

Mar 23, 1990    Mac is born  **                      Month/day from 1x12, year from 1x18

May 1993          Jack graduates HS                 Episode 2x13

1993                 Jack to Army                         18 years old

1995-6             Jack to Delta                          20-21 years old

1995                 Mac's mom dies                     5 years old

2000                 Mac's dad leaves                    10 years old

2007                 Mac to MIT                             17 years old

2007                 Jack to CIA                             32 years old

2009                Mac in Army Training              19 years old, Basic training is 10 weeks, EOD is 37 weeks

2010                Mac deployed                          20 years old

2010                Jack re-enlists Army                35 years old

2011                Mac meets Ghost w/Charlie     Day of 1000 IEDs from 3x08

2011                Mac + Jack meet                      21 + 36 years old

2013                Both to DXS                             23 + 38 years old

Sept 2016        Series start                              26 + 41 years old

 

** 1x04 Problem -Mac says the KGB was disbanded before he was born (disbanded Nov 1991 -would make him born in 1992)

1x12 Mac unlocks Nikki's phone with his birthday 0323

2x13 Jack goes to reunion, class of 1993, birthdate assumes he was 18 like most grads

 

Basic and EOD training lengths from goarmy.com

 

There is an episode (I forget which) where someone says at his 12th birthday, Mac's grandfather tells him that his dad isn’t coming back. This is still possible if Mac was used to his dad going on business trips. 1 ½ to 2 years is a while to wait before asking why the trip is lasting so long, but not impossible. His grandfather may have also been hoping James would change his mind and return.

 

** 1x18, Mac calculates that if he was on Mars, he’d be 14 years old and his next birthday wouldn’t be for 231 days. A year on Mars is 687 (Earth) days. Do the math and Mac is saying he’s 27.6 years old, which would make this birthdate completely wrong (he would have been born in Aug/Sept of 1989). If you do the math slightly wrong (which the writers might have) it comes out to 26.98 years. That would make this correct. It would also make having his birthday at the end of the episode make sense (otherwise the birthday party takes place more than 5 months later).

The math for those interested: 687 x 14 = 9,618 (14 Mars years in Earth days)  687-231=456 (days since he turned 14 on Mars)   9,618+456=10,074 (age in days)  10,074/365=27.6 (age in years)

Done slightly wrong: 687 x 14=9,618 (14 Mars years in Earth days)   9,618+231= 9,849  (age in days)  9,849/365=26.98 (age in years)

Basically, if they wanted him born in March of 1990, Mac should have calculated that on Mars he was 14 and his (15th) birthday wouldn't be for 456 days. Or he should have said that on Mars he was 14 years and 231 days old. The writers likely switched the two numbers by mistake.


End file.
